I was a 'symptoms'. Even after I learned my 'symptoms' were celiac related and began to avoid gluten, I had many gluten 'slips' which kept the symptoms recurring. I LOVE following the gluten free diet so I can finally heal and resolve those pesky 'symptoms'. However, I've learned the hard way about cross-contamination in 'deli's, in restaurants, and in my own kitchen! I've also learned not to assume health products like vitamins or toothpaste are safe. Both my vitamin C supplement and my own toothpaste contained gluten. I just recently learned about the toothpaste. So maybe the most difficult part about the gluten-free diet for me was the steep learning curve of discerning which foods and products are gluten based and/or contaminated. Hopefully, I can soon go from a 'symptoms' to a 'nothing'. Since I substituted a safe brand of toothpaste, I have been feeling better and better every day. I just experienced my first dinner after which I had NO bloating or cramping pain. So this is what 'normal' feels like ...
BURDEE

This was kind of a tough one for me. Initially it was the emotions, I was devastated and cried a lot. Then my best friend said..."hey, you can still have steak, seafood, chocolate and wine! What else could you ask for?" I guess she had a good point. Then I bought the book Wheat Free Worry Free by Danna Korn, and it was AMAZING..really helped me with the emotions, and still does at times.
Right now I would have to say that the hardest thing is lack of spontaneity. Working full time (and then some), shuffling 2 kids to afterschool activities and sports, etc...I can't just pick up a pizza on rushed nights. Often I will for them, and then skip the meal for myself or make a salad or a yogurt. There are still times that I wish I did not have to plan every ounce of food in the house.

I have two that sort of tied, but in the end I voted for symptoms.....that's the worst and is the source of my second problem: anxiety and emotions....thanks for replying so quickly...I realize that most Celiacs hate the symptoms, and many also have anxiety or great emotions....I was just wondering which outweighed which...etc....and I got my answer....thank you again.

I voted for difficulty staying on the diet.. and by that I mean the more unintentional ingestions. I have been trying to be gluten-free since last thanksgiving. But I am still symptomatic much of the time, I think eggs may be the culprit there... It was about 6 years that I was having the symptoms all the time, and the depression was unbearable. I figure it will take some time to heal the extensive damage that has been wrought but sometimes it's really hard staying patient. I am sure you are all familiar with struggling to resit beloved glutenous temptations only to have some other gluten source blind-side you later on. Sometimes it seems a wasted effort.. But I know it's really not because I feel worlds better emotionally. And in time I am sure I will physically too.

Well, this was a cathartic vote...Thank you.It's nice to whine to people who can actually commiserate!! ~ S

I have to plan everything now, and long road trips are a challenge. On the bright side, we've found who our truest friends are. My son's friends got on the web, bought a bunch of stuff from Ms. Roben's and stocked their cupboards with it. Isn't that cool?

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Mom/wife to celiacs dx 12/03 and 12/04

Success is never final and failure never fatal. It's courage that counts -George Tilton

I'm with Richard, too--both my daughter, age 11, and I have celiac disease, and our family outings are still about as stress-filled as they were when we had a newborn in the family! I've been dx'd a while, and had things pretty well covered for myself, but it's a whole other ballgame when you have to be prepared for "food emergencies" away from home with a child. We just take a full cooler everywhere we go these days, no more popping in to this restaurant or that. Definately takes a lot of forethought!

I thought dealing with people was the most difficult thing. I am a college student and my friends and dining services were so hard to deal with sometimes. They wanted to help, but I usually ended up left out or feeling so different and alienated from everyone else. Traveling with sports teams was a nightmare as well. It just made the adjustment that much harder and take that much longer.

It's really difficult to eat in a restaurant unless you pick Mexican or Chinese or Japanese. They seem to put wheat starch and flour in everything. Cybergran10

It is difficult....and all you can eat is the boring stuff that you eat all the time: it's not any different when I eat out: it's the same steak or chicken or potato that I'd have had at home, anyway....and like Richard (lovegrov) said, nothing is spontaneous or new or different......it seems to be the same: I don't find that the hardest part, but it can get rather annoying....then again, I'm 13....so if I live a LONG time, I could have another 80 years of meat, potatoes, and gluten-free noodles...with no new sauces or toppings....ugg. I agree with Richard, and I think he, and everyone else (dana_g, ryebaby0) explained it pretty well....you can't just say "that restaurant looks interesting, let's go there." I guess the positive thing is that I never really ate out much even before the diet.

I thought dealing with people was the most difficult thing. I am a college student and my friends and dining services were so hard to deal with sometimes. They wanted to help, but I usually ended up left out or feeling so different and alienated from everyone else. Traveling with sports teams was a nightmare as well. It just made the adjustment that much harder and take that much longer.

Again, I don't find dealing with people the hardest, but I really dislike explaining to everyone. Anywhere what I eat with other people I feel like the oddball....the different one....the weird one....not so much at restaurants (cause I can meat and potatoes and a vegetable....w/o any sauces or contaminants...and look like everyone else), but if everyone else is eating pizza and I'm eating something else, I feel somewhat self-conscious.....sounds like what you said, Melody... ...I dislike talking about it with other people or explaining unless I have to...and when I have to, I try to keep it short and to the point.

Thanks for replying...and voting...even though the votes were spread out, it seems like everyone thinks the same way about things....like eating out and symptoms.